The 4th annual Great Ohio River Paddle will take place Aug. 18-19.
The two-day paddling event, which is sponsored by the Ohio River Foundation and has thus far attracted 80 registered participants, begins in Ripley Saturday and ends at the New Richmond RiverDays Festival Sunday.
According to GORP and River Explorer Program coordinator Tom Smith, the event is designed to educate the public by spreading awareness about the Ohio River’s watershed ecology and its many immediate conservation issues, promote the importance of conserving and protecting the Ohio River, and finally, to celebrate the river and the heritage of all riverfront communities.
“This annual event is becoming more and more important,” he said. “The Ohio River is a tremendous backyard resource in the county that is oftentimes taken for granted. Little is taught about the importance of this natural resource, even though ecologically the river’s watershed plays an important role in our daily lives.”